The odds don’t seem so great that The Internship is going to end up being a funny movie. First off, it’s being directed by Shawn Levy, a man who’s known for putting together safe, boring studio stuff like Cheaper by the Dozen and Night and the Museum, and who even managed to disappoint when working with hilarious comedic leads Steve Carell and Tina Fey on Date Night. Secondly, it’s coming from a script that was penned by Vince Vaughn, and when Vince Vaughn is the one doing the writing, he gives us films like The Break-Up and Couples Retreat – not exactly titles that would make anyone’s top ten list of recent comedies.
That’s not to say that the upcoming film is doomed to failure, however. It’s got a premise that’s relatable to modern times and an impressive-on-paper cast working in its favor, and that may be enough to help it beat the odds. The Internship stars Vaughn and Owen Wilson as a couple of old school salespeople who find that their jobs are being made obsolete due to the rise of online marketing and shopping. Not taking their newfound lack of employment lying down, the duo decide to reinvent themselves and become the two most aged interns at a major tech company. Bumbling presumably ensues.
In addition to Vaughn and Wilson in the lead roles, The Internship’s cast also boasts Bridesmaids star Rose Byrne playing the love interest of the Wilson character, as well as John Goodman as the protagonists’ boss. And if that’s not exciting enough already, a report from Variety says that the film will also be featuring a cameo from God of comedy Will Ferrell, who’ll be playing Wilson’s brother-in-law, an electronics salesman who makes improper advances toward his customers.
While it’s true that Levy and Vaughn have yet to prove they can bring the hilarity while working behind the scenes on straight comedies, keep in mind that the last time Vaughn, Wilson, and Ferrell all appeared in the same movie together it gave us the legendary line, “Mom! Meatloaf! Fuck!” Does a chance at rekindling that Wedding Crashers magic make The Internship worth giving the benefit of the doubt? The choice is yours!